| CroisiEurope | |
| Founder: | Gérard Schmitter |
| Area Served: | Europe, Asia |
| Industry: | Tourism |
| Products: | river cruises cruise line |
| Num Employees: | 1350 (2015) |
| Location City: | Strasbourg |
| Location Country: | France |
CroisiEurope (Alsace Croisières until 1997) is a French company specializing in river and coastal cruises.
In 1976, Gérard Schmitter founded Alsace Croisières in Strasbourg, chartering a boat belonging to the Port Autonome de Strasbourg, the Strasbourg. In 1982, the company acquires its first boat, the Alsace I, for river cruising, sailing as far as Rudesheim in Germany.
In 1984, the company obtained its first cabin cruisers for the Rhine and its tributaries, the Hansi, the Kléber and the Petite France.
In 1990, the company became its own shipowner, the Liberté being the first boat built for CroisiEurope.
The first cruises on the Danube appeared in 1993. In 1995, Alsace Croisières began offering cruises on the Rhône and Saône rivers.
In 1997, the company changed its name from “Alsace Croisières” to “CroisiEurope”.
In 1998, the company's boats set sail on the Seine from Paris. The same year, CroisiEurope charters boats on the Volga in Russia, later integrated into the CroisiVoyages brand.
The founder's four children, Patrick, Philippe, Christian and Anne-Marie Schmitter2, took over the management of the company in 19993.
By 2000, the fleet had grown to 14 boats.
CroisiEurope set up offices and agencies outside Strasbourg: in Paris in 1991, Lyon in 2001, Nice in 2002, Lausanne in 2008, etc.
In 2005, CroisiEurope launches its first river-sea cruises in Northern Europe.
In 2006, Europe and the Beethoven sail the Danube-Black Sea route.
In 2007, CroisiEurope launches the “CroisiMer” brand, with a first cruise to Croatia on the Belle of the Adriatic in 2008.
In 2009, the 26th ship in the Schmitter family fleet arrives on the waters of the Danube, the Vivaldi.
CroisiEurope founds a new brand in 2010, CroisiYacht. This new brand, with the “MY Galateia”, offers cruises on small motorized sailing boats on the Mediterranean.
In 2012, company founder Gérard Schmitter passed away at the age of 76. Shortly afterwards, the Gérard Schmitter was inaugurated as a tribute to him.
In 2013, CroisiEurope announced the acquisition of Compagnie Fluviale du Mékong, from which the company had previously chartered ships. The same year, the company inaugurates the 29th vessel in its fleet, the Cyrano de Bergerac, which operates with the Princesse d'Aquitaine on the Gironde estuary.
The Lafayette is inaugurated in 2014. CroisiVoyages sells cruises on the Irrawaddy in Burma and in southern Africa (safari cruise) on the Chobé River. At the same time, new barges are being launched on French canals (the Madeleine in Alsace, the Anne-Marie in Provence and the Raymonde on the Marne and Canal Saint-Martin).
Three “5-anchor” boats are inaugurated that year, built in Saint-Nazaire by Neopolia, including the first paddlewheel boat, such as the Loire Princesse, designed to navigate the Loire and its lower reaches between Saint-Nazaire and Bouchemaine. Also built in Saint-Nazaire, the Elbe Princesse sailed between Berlin and Prague.
Destined for the Mekong, the RV Princesse Apsara will be the first boat built locally by CroisiEurope.
In 2016, the company celebrated its 40th anniversary with special events, an anniversary cruise and the inauguration of new ships such as the MS Elbe Princesse and the barges Déborah and Danièle.
In 2017, CroisiEurope added several 5-anchor vessels to its fleet, including the MS Miguel Torga on the Douro and the RV Indochine II for the Mekong.
In 2018, the company launched safari cruises in Southern Africa and new maritime itineraries with the MS La Belle de l'Adriatique, while inaugurating three new ships, including the MS Elba Princesse II.
In 2019, CroisiEurope strengthened its presence in Portugal with the MS Amalia Rodrigues and added a second seagoing ship, La Belle des Océans, for new itineraries.
In 2020, it expanded its offerings in Southern Africa with a new lodge and the Zimbabwean Dream.
The company continued its expansion in 2021 with new sea cruises to the Canaries and between Egypt and Jordan.
After the difficulties of the pandemic, 2022 marked the gradual recovery of its activities, with loyal customers returning in full confidence.
In 2023, CroisiEurope enjoyed strong growth thanks to a diversified offering and a commitment to environmentally-friendly cruises.
Today, the company is positioned as a leading player in the river and sea cruise sector. CroisiEurope is pursuing an expansion strategy while affirming its commitment to sustainable, environmentally-friendly tourism.
CroisiEurope currently has a fleet of 43[1] Prestige category boats that cruise all of Europe's rivers. Accommodation capacity varies from 100 to 180 passengers depending on the ship's design.[2]
The CroisiEurope fleet is partially renovated each year, being mostly made up of recently built vessels that are less than five years old.[3]
French is the primary language spoken on the ships, although most staff members also speak English and other European languages. Ship announcements are made in French and in English.[4]
The four-star vessels provide French cuisine food cooked by French chefs and accompanied with French and German wines.[5]
Like most Europe river lines, CroisiEurope provides wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner year-round and offers unlimited drinks—including house spirits—during the high season from April to October.[6]
RHINE AND DANUBE
| Ship name | Year Built/Refit | Length | Guests | Staterooms | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beethoven | 2004 | 360feet | 180 | 90 | ||
| Douce France | 1997 | 360feet | 107 | 55 | ||
| Gerard Schmitter | 2012 | 361feet | 174 | 87 | ||
| France | 2001 | 360feet | 159 | 78 | ||
| L’Europe | 2006 | 361feet | 180 | 90 | ||
| La Boheme | 1995 | 360feet | 158 | 80 | ||
| Lafayette | 1992 | 295feet | 82 | 43 | ||
| Leonardo Da Vinci | 2003 | 344feet | 143 | 72 | ||
| Modigliani | 2001 | 360feet | 159 | 78 | ||
| Mona Lisa | 2000 | 269feet | 94 | 47 | ||
| Monet | 1999 | 360feet | 158 | 78 | ||
| Symphonie | 1997 | 361feet | 107 | 55 | ||
| Victor Hugo | 2000 | 269feet | 90 | 45 | ||
| Vivaldi | 2009 | 361feet | 176 | 88 | ||
| R.E. Waydelich L.J. | 2018 | 334feet | 81 | 42 |
SEINE
| Ship name | Year Built/Refit | Length | Guests | Staterooms | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botticelli | 2004 | 360feet | 149 | 75 | ||
| Renoir | 1999 | 360feet | 105 | 54 | ||
| Seine Princess | 2002 | 360feet | 138 | 67 |
RHONE
| Ship name | Year Built/Refit | Length | Guests | Staterooms | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mistral | 1999 | 361feet | 157 | 78 | ||
| Rhône Princess | 2001 | 361feet | 138 | 69 | ||
| Camargue | 1995 | 361feet | 104 | 54 | ||
| Van Gogh | 1999 | 360feet | 105 | 54 |
GIRONDE
LOIRE
ELBE
| Ship name | Year Built/Refit | Length | Guests | Staterooms | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elbe Princesse | 2016 | 312feet | 80 | 40 | ||
| Elbe Princesse II | 2017 | 331feet | 95 | 45 |
DOURO
| Ship name | Year Built/Refit | Length | Guests | Staterooms | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenrnao de Magalhaes | 2003 | 246feet | 142 | 71 | ||
| Gil Eanes | 2015 | 262feet | 142 | 66 | ||
| Infante don Henrique | 2003 | 246feet | 142 | 71 | ||
| Vasco de Gama | 2003 | 246feet | 142 | 71 | ||
| Amalia Rodrigues | 2018 | 246feet | 142 | 66 | ||
| Miguel Torga | 2017 | 246feet | 142 | 66 |
GUADALQUIVIR
PO
CANALS OF FRANCE AND BELGIUM
| Ship name | Year Built/Refit | Length | Guests | Staterooms | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anne-Marie | 2014 | 128feet | 24 | 12 | ||
| Jeanine | 2013 | 130feet | 24 | 12 | ||
| Madeleine | 2013 | 130feet | 24 | 12 | ||
| Raymonde | 2013 | 130feet | 24 | 12 | ||
| Danièle | 2016 | 130feet | 22 | 11 | ||
| Déborah | 2016 | 130feet | 22 | 11 |
COASTAL CRUISES
| Ship name | Year Built/Refit | Length | Guests | Staterooms | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Belle de L’Adriatique | 2007 | 360feet | 200 | 100 | ||
| La Belle des Océans | 1990 | 337feet | 130 | 65 |
MEKONG
| Ship name | Year Built/Refit | Length | Guests | Staterooms | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toum Tiou I | 2002 | 124feet | 20 | 10 | ||
| Toum Tiou II | 2008 | 124feet | 28 | 14 | ||
| Lan Diep | 2017 | 164feet | 44 | 22 | ||
| Indochine I | 2008 | 167feet | 48 | 24 | ||
| Indochine II | 2017 | 213feet | 62 | 31 |
SOUTHERN AFRICA
| Ship name | Year Built/Refit | Length | Guests | Staterooms | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Dream | 2018 | 108feet | 16 | 8 | ||
| Zimbabwean Dream | 2020 | 108feet | 16 | 8 |
[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
In France, CroisiEurope sails on the Seine, the Rhône, the Gironde, the Loire and the Rhine; in Italy, on the Po; in Spain, on the Guadalquivir; in Portugal, on the Douro; in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, on the Rhine; in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania, on the Danube; and in Germany, on the Havel and the Oder.
CroisiEurope also has two coastal ship, the MS Belle de l'Adriatique and the MS Belle des Océans, which operates in the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, the Aegean and the Atlantic.
CroisiEurope is expanding its offer by offering cruises on iconic rivers from around the world. Its routes include the Mekong in Asia, the Nile in Egypt, the Amazon in South America and the Chobé in southern Africa. These cruises allow you to explore distant regions and discover their cultural and natural riches.